I used to hit the Hollywood GC almost every Saturday, but that was back in the days when there were literally a dozen little indie shops in the couple of blocks around GC; 3 or 4 shops on Gardner, a few on Sunset west of Gardner and a few on Sunset east of Gardner. Now there is GC, Sam Ash and Mesa Boogie - even Carvin has closed!!! Carvin who existed long before GC was even a concept. (anyone know if Carvin has just given up the physical store, or did they move?) Not a single indie shop! so my trips down there are few and far between - I only go when I actually need something. the days of going to Sunset and Gardner as the start of a perfect Saturday are long gone.
But today GC was even worse than usual. I was surpirised to see a very impressive quantity of Fender combo amps: two dozen + tweeds, more than a dozen blackface / silverface combos, and exactly zero heads / cabs!!!. I asked the head guy in the vintage section and he rambled on with some nonsense about how no one wants separates or that no one sells heads and/or cabs separately. When I said that I was looking for a Showman, Bassman 100 or Bassman 135 for bass use, he told me that those are not suitable for bass use as they only have 40 or 50 watts. (this is the head guy of the Hollywood store's vintage dept.). He logged on to the overall database of all GC stores and started to show me blackface Bassman heads. I explained that I wanted more powerful amps, either Showman or the later, larger Bassman 100 or 135 models. So he showed me a page of silverface 50 watt Bassman heads. We went around a few more times until he finally found a 1964 Showman, but it was a complete head and cab at a silly price. I explained that I was only looking for a head, not a complete head/cab, especially when the head/cab was a priced a a premium (for a matching set). At which point he went back to the earlier statement that "no one wants separates or that no one sells heads and/or cabs separately."
I left soon after, but one thing sticks in my mind - the flagship GC store had 25+ tweed combos, another 15+ black/silver face combos and not a SINGLE head/cab - either a matching set or any separates. That was my main question to the GC rep, and I could see that it went right over his head, he saw nothing weird with that situation. Am I crazy, or is that not the way it used to be? I remember heads, particularly the less "in-demand" heads like Bandmasters, Tremolux, etc. piled to the ceiling, while every Deluxe or Pro Reverb was sold as soon as it hit the floor. What happened? And even if market forces have changed, why does the vintage room at Hollywood GC have nearly 50 combos on the floor and NOT A SINGLE HEAD or CAB? Not one!
edit - i should mention one very cool item in the vintage section - e late 50's / very early 60s Ampeg Acordiamp. According to the Ampeg book , this came in three varieties and the version at GC only said Accordiamp, no other name. But it had a 1-15 and what looked like 2-6L6 tubes, but I was leaning over upside down with my head against the wall, so I'm not too sure about what was inside the cab/chassis. But the amp is super clean / mint and they are asking $8-something. It has the original 50s style artsy grill cloth, and two channels with tremolo. And unlike a lot of older Ampegs, the white lettering on the faceplate is like new. If it sounds even 1/2 as nice as it looks, its a bargain.
But today GC was even worse than usual. I was surpirised to see a very impressive quantity of Fender combo amps: two dozen + tweeds, more than a dozen blackface / silverface combos, and exactly zero heads / cabs!!!. I asked the head guy in the vintage section and he rambled on with some nonsense about how no one wants separates or that no one sells heads and/or cabs separately. When I said that I was looking for a Showman, Bassman 100 or Bassman 135 for bass use, he told me that those are not suitable for bass use as they only have 40 or 50 watts. (this is the head guy of the Hollywood store's vintage dept.). He logged on to the overall database of all GC stores and started to show me blackface Bassman heads. I explained that I wanted more powerful amps, either Showman or the later, larger Bassman 100 or 135 models. So he showed me a page of silverface 50 watt Bassman heads. We went around a few more times until he finally found a 1964 Showman, but it was a complete head and cab at a silly price. I explained that I was only looking for a head, not a complete head/cab, especially when the head/cab was a priced a a premium (for a matching set). At which point he went back to the earlier statement that "no one wants separates or that no one sells heads and/or cabs separately."
I left soon after, but one thing sticks in my mind - the flagship GC store had 25+ tweed combos, another 15+ black/silver face combos and not a SINGLE head/cab - either a matching set or any separates. That was my main question to the GC rep, and I could see that it went right over his head, he saw nothing weird with that situation. Am I crazy, or is that not the way it used to be? I remember heads, particularly the less "in-demand" heads like Bandmasters, Tremolux, etc. piled to the ceiling, while every Deluxe or Pro Reverb was sold as soon as it hit the floor. What happened? And even if market forces have changed, why does the vintage room at Hollywood GC have nearly 50 combos on the floor and NOT A SINGLE HEAD or CAB? Not one!
edit - i should mention one very cool item in the vintage section - e late 50's / very early 60s Ampeg Acordiamp. According to the Ampeg book , this came in three varieties and the version at GC only said Accordiamp, no other name. But it had a 1-15 and what looked like 2-6L6 tubes, but I was leaning over upside down with my head against the wall, so I'm not too sure about what was inside the cab/chassis. But the amp is super clean / mint and they are asking $8-something. It has the original 50s style artsy grill cloth, and two channels with tremolo. And unlike a lot of older Ampegs, the white lettering on the faceplate is like new. If it sounds even 1/2 as nice as it looks, its a bargain.
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Plus a few of the newer Fender Rumble combos. 
